Combined door handle and latch



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i a k 1N VENTOR. f 4/ 4 Anne/YE) Aug. 2, 1960 E. OLSSON commas DOOR HANDLE AND LATCH Filed Nov. 19, 1958 Aug. 2, 1960 Filed Nov. 19. 19,58

E. oLs soN COMBINED nooa HANDLE AND LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR.

United States Patent COMBINED DOOR HANDLE AND LATCH Erik Olsson, Bromma, Sweden, assignor to Aktieholaget Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 19, 195i}, Ser. No. 774,862 Claims priority, application Sweden Nov. 21, 1957 Claims. (Cl. 292-128) This invention relates to a combined handle and latch for a door.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved handle and latch for a door that is formed from a single member, all parts of which are integrally joined to one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined handle and latch member for a door that is formed from a single piece of material, the latch portion of which is substantially rigid and arranged to be held in its latched position by the resilient biasing actio'n imparted to the handle portion of the member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined handle and latch member for a door that is formed from a single piece of material, the latch portion of which is rigid and arranged to be moved from its latched to its unlatched position responsive to movement imparted to another portion of the member that is flexible and serves as the door handle.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and of which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views of a refrigerator provided with a combined handle and latch embodying the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the refrigerator door handle and latch shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention has been shown in connection with a refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a compartment 11 provided with a door 12 which is hinged in any suitable manner (not shown) to the front of the cabinet. The door 12 comprises outer and inner wall members 14 and 15 having the space therebetween filled with a suitable heat insulating material 16. A suitable gasket 17, which is formed of rubber or plastic, for example, is provided about the periphery of the door and bears against the front marginal portion 18 of an outer wall 19 of the cabinet 10 and forms a seal therewith to prevent the escape of cold air from the compartment 11. When the door 12 is retained in its closed position, the gasket 17 is compressed and exerts an outward force-on the door. The outer wall member 19 cooperates with an inner wall member 20, which may be formed of plastic, for example, the space between the inner and outer wall members being filled with a suitable insulating material 21.

In accordance with this invention, I provide a combined door handle and latch member 22 for the door 12. The member 22 includes an attachment part 22a which is secured to the outer face of the door 12. In the preferred embodiment being described, this is accomplished by providing a pair of threaded openings in the part 22a which receive threaded tightening bolts 23 arranged to pass through aligned openings in the outer wall member 14 and in a mounting block 24 disposed between the outer and inner wall members 14 and 15.

The member 22 includes the attachment part 22a just 2,947,559 Patented Aug. 2, 1960 described, a pair of spaced arms 22b and 22c and a connecting end part 2212 to form a hollow handle 22e which extends horizontally across the front face of the door 12. The member 22 also includes a latch element 22 which is connected by a round or curved part 22g to the attachment part 22a at the vicinity of the arm 22b of the handle 22e. The latch element 22f is provided with a catch 22h which, in its latched position, engages a detent 25 formed on a latch keeper 26 fixed at 27 to the front marginal portion 18 of the cabinet 10.

The latch element 22 at a region intermediate the ends thereof, is provided with part 221 which is disposed essentially at the vicinity of the front face of the door 12. The arm 22c includes an apertured section formed with an opening 28 through which the attachment part 22a projects from the front face of the door 12. As best seen in Fig. 3, the part 22i of the member 22 merges with and more or less forms a continuation of the arm 22c of the member 22.

The different parts of the combined door handle and latch member 22 just described are formed integrally with one another, certain parts thereof desirably being formed so that they are relatively rigid while other parts thereof are essentially resilient and flexible in character. Although I do not Wish to be limited thereto, the member 22 may be formed of a suitable plastic material, such as polyamide, for example.

In the preferred embodiment being described and illustrated in the drawing, the latch element 22 which includes the catch 22h and part 22i adjacent thereto, is essentially rigid and connected to the forward portion of the rigid attachment part 22a by the curved or round part 22g which is flexible. The spaced arms 22b and 220 of the handle 22e are flexible while the part 22d thereof connecting the ends of the arms is rigid. In the preferred embodiment being described, the rigid part 22d of the handle may form angles of 105 and respectively, with the arms 22b and 220. It will now be understood that the arm 220 of the handle, which is flexible, merges with and is integrally connected to the relatively rigid part 22i adjacent to the relatively rigid latch element 22).

When the catch 22h of latch element 22 engages the detent 25 ofthe latch keeper. 26, the different parts of the combined handle and latch member 22 are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and the door 12 is retained in its closed position. When the flexible part 22b of the handle 22e is grasped and pulled forward from the front face of the door 12, the part 22b, which is joined at one end to the attachment part 22a, is bent clockwise about its anchor point.

Clockwise bending movement of the arm. 22b imparts clockwise bending movement to the arm 220 through the rigid connecting part 22d which in turn pulls the rigid part 22i nearer to the attachment part 22a. At the same time that such movement is being imparted to the rigid part 22i, force is transmitted from the arm 22b of the handle to the flexible part 22g which yields and imparts movement to the rigid latch element 22 and causes the catch 22h to move from the latched position shown in Fig. 1 to the unlatched position illustrated in Fig. 2. Such movement is imparted to the rigid latch element 22f through the flexible part 22g from the arm 22b because the latter is resilient at the end which is at the immediate vicinity of and overlies the rigid attachment part 22a. With this construction, the arm 22b is movable between the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the arm 22b wil be biased to its latch position in Fig. 1 when released.

When the handle 22e is released and the door 12 is moved to its closed position, the parts of the combined handle and latch member 22 are in the positions shown in Fig. 1. As the door 12 approaches its closed position, the inclined face 22i of latch element 22 rides over the curved edge 25a of the projecting nose forming the detent '25,"'the'rigid latch elemenFZZf pivoting about the "flexible connecting part 22g when this occurs.

The rear surface 29.01. the attachment part 22a, which bears againstthefrontiface of'the door12,- r'riyb'ein- "clinedslightly with 'respect'to the 'front arm part 2211 50f .thehandle'22e, so that the armZZc will be resiliently biased toward thefront face o'f the door. Under these conditions, the handle22e normally will be under tension or str'ess'in its latched position "illustrated inFig. l and .the handle 22c will'be firmly 'hel'd againstthefront'face ofthe door 12 when "released.

'In the preferred embodiment ofthe invention which has been described and i1lustrated,"tl1edoor 12 is effectively held in its closed position bythe rigid latch element 22 'As'seen in Fig. 1,the catch 22h'is'"held in thedetnt 25 of'the latch boltkeeper'2'6 while the-rigid part 22i is held against the'front face of th'e'door 'l l atitsperiphery. Vt ith this arrangement, the force -from the sealing gasket 17 is transmitted to the detenti25 of the'lateh'keeperfzfi through the rigidpart 221', the latch element 22 and the catch 22 h at the extreme endthereof. Under-these conditions, the thickness of the flexible part ZZg'may'be considerably less than that of the rigid part 22i and sections of the latch element 22] extending therefrom to the catch assumes may be varied and the precise manner in which force is transmitted from the sealing gasket 17 'to the detent 25 of the latch keeper 26 may be changed. For

example, in place ofor inaddition to the handle 222, the member 22 may be provided with a rigid-part at the vicinity of the latch element 2'2af or round pait'22g'which may be manually pressed when grasping the member '22 to effect movement of the element 229 from itslatched to its unlatched position. I therefore do not wish to-be limited to the embodiment shown in the drawrng and described in the specification and aim in the following claims to cover all modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim: I 1. For use'with a cabinet having a door, the cabinet having a latch keeper mounted thereon, -a latch element cooperating with the'keeper to hold the door'in its closed position, said latch element being disposed transverse to and having at least a portion thereof projecting forward from the front of the door, a'handle-including an arm extending across the front of the door and spaced therefrom, one end of said arm being nearer to the forwardly extending portion of said latch element than theopposite end thereof, a part having a bend connecting the one end of said arm and the forwardly extending portion of said latch element, means including an attachmentpart for mounting said arm and said connecting bend part and said latch element on the door, said attachment part being fixed to and projecting forward from the front of thedoor to the one end of said handle arm, said latch element and handle arm'and connecting bend pai't and attachment part being formed of a single body of material and integrally joined to one another, said attachment part and latch element being substantially rigid, said connecting bend part being flexible, said handle arm, including the one end thereof integrally joined and anchored to said rigid attachment part, beingresilient,"said'handle arm being movablefrom afirst position to a secondz'position about the one end-thereof'anchored to said attachment part, said rigid latch element and flexible connecting bend part and resilient handle arm being-formed and arranged to move said latch element from its latched to its unlatched-position responsive to'movement of said handle arm from its first to its second position and to move said latch element from its unlatched to its latched position responsive to movement. of said resilient arm from its second to 'itsfirst position when the latter is released.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in whichsaid handle includes said arm extending across the front of said door and spaced therefrom and a part extending to-the front of said door from the opposite end of said arm removed from said'attachmentrpart, said last-mentioned part being substantially rigid'and forming a component of said single body of material integrally joined to said arm.

3. Apparatus as setforthin clai-ml in which said-latch element includes a part overlying the front of the door, said last-mentioned part being substantially rigid and forming a component 'of-said single body' of material integrally joined'to said latch element.

4. Apparatus as set'forth'in'claim 3 'in which'said rigid part integrally "joined to said latc'h'eler'nent is in physicalcontact with the front of'the door,'andsai-d handle includes said arm spaced from and extendingacross the frontofs'aid door andanother-ann extending across the front of said door and normally in physical contact therewith, said other arm and said rigid part-integrally 'joined to said latch element also being joined integrally toone another, said handle further including a part connecting the opposite-end of said arm spaced from the front ofsaid door and an end of said other arm, said last-mentioned part being substantially rigid and forming 'acomponent of said singlebody-of material integrally joined to both of said arms, and said other armb'eing resilient in characterand movable bodily with said arm spaced from the front of said door.

5. Apparatus asset forth in claim t in which said rigid part integrally joined 'to'said latch is formed with an opening through which said attachment part extends.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES :PATENTS 2,120,111 Moseley 'June 7, 1 938 FOREIGN "PATENTS 23,393 Finland Jan. 8, 1949 77,829 Norway Dec. 27, 1950 

